Burning Hearts
by RoseBVB
Summary: The Doctor is greving over his separation with Rose when he meets a spirited girl with troubles of her own. Can burning hearts still keep these two strong?
1. Chapter 1

_Burning Hearts_

_AN: Hello! RoseBVB here! This is my new fanfiction, __Burning Hearts__. The main character in this is Mackenzie-preferably Max- Carver. Some of you may already know her from one of my fellow fanfic authors, Wings of Indigo in her fic, __I'm Here Now__. Originally, I asked her to include my character in her fic, assuming that I wasn't ever going to write anything. Eventually, I started scribbling down stories with her and the fic kind of took off on its own. So here it is, chapter one of __Burning Hearts__. I hope you enjoy it. Please comment if you wish!_

_-RoseBVB_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, or anything in this story, except any of my OCs_

_Chapter 1_

_Song: All I Want- A Day to Remember_

Max was hunched over her work as she overheard Bryon.

"-This is so bloody stupid" he ranted "this class is pointless, the food is terrible, and the teachers are so stupid!" he continued

_Let him rant_ she thought, brushing her annoyance off_ it's not like he doesn't do this every day_.

"Not to mention Mackenzie is such a freak, she's so weird!"

_Psh, nothing I haven't heard before_, she thought, not paying much mind to the criticism.

"-Worst of all, she's got that freak for a lesbian lover, Melissa!"

Now that hit a nerve. Max could feel the fury racing through her veins, but tried to control her anger.

"Shut up" she muttered under her breath. Though it wasn't quiet enough to escape Bryon's hearing.

"Oh, are you too scared to say something to my face, Carver?" He taunted

That was it. Max had enough. Taking the bait, she spun on her heels to face Bryon and gave him a venomous glare.

"No, I'm not scared, Bryon. So shut up. Melissa isn't a lesbian, and neither am I. Even if we were, why would it matter? There's nothing wrong with being homosexual. I'm sick and tired of you and your stuck up notion that anything you don't approve of is wrong! So shut up!" she shouted. She slapped him and spun back on here heels, stalking off from the Culinary Arts kitchen.

Her teacher caught sight of her as she was about to leave the kitchen and retreat to her desk in the classroom.

"Mackenzie" she called calmly "Detention"

Max turned to face her

"But-!" she protested "I was just—"

"Max, look, I get it" the teacher said, her eyes conveying sympathy "I'm sorry. Really. I understand how you feel. Bryon is a jerk. But that doesn't justify you slapping him. I'm sorry, but I can't let you get away with that."

Max sighed in defeat. She knew nothing could be done. This wasn't her first time to get sentenced to the two hour torture in the prison otherwise known as room 301, and it certainly wouldn't be her last. She knew the drill well enough. It wasn't that she was a bad student or a trouble maker, just that every teen has gone through the perils of detention at least once in their high school career. Max just hoped her parents were willing to be a bit more lenient today. She already filled her quota of fighting for the day.

* * *

"You got a WHAT?" Max's Mother shrieked.

Max cringed. Obviously, karma decided to be a bitch today.

"I got a detention today for slapping Bryon Tucker" She stated without much emotion. Max had this fight with her mother too many times before. Enough to know it wasn't worth getting too upset over.

"Mackenzie, don't you see? It's things like this that make me think you need to talk to a psychiatrist."

Max winced. That stung.

"Mum, look. There's nothing wrong with me. I know that it may be hard for you to accept that I don't exactly fit in to your perfect world, and nor do I try to, but that doesn't make me a bad person." She stated, trying to defend herself. She knew it was a little harsh, saying that, but her mum had done this enough times to know that she wasn't exactly known for her world class sympathy or kindness.

"I just don't see why you can't at least attempt to be normal for once" she snapped "face it, honey. Artists rarely get anywhere in life."

Max glared, a fire suddenly lit under her. Now that crossed a line.

"Why be normal?" she spat back "normal is nothing more than a washing machine setting. No one should aim to be that."

With that, she ran up the stairs to her room.

"Mackenzie, wait—" her mom protested, a façade of worry entering her voice, only to be answered with the slam of a door, followed with the click of a lock.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, or anything in this story, except any of my OCs_

_Songs: Moceanu- Bayside_

Max jumped on her bed as silent tears rolled down her face. She stared at the countless band posters that practically wallpapered her ceiling, seeing the eyes of her heroes stare down at her gave her some form of comfort as silent sobs wracked her body. She knew she shouldn't let what her Mom said get to her all the time, and usually she didn't. But then her mom took cheap shots and low blows that would pry themselves past her emotional armor and that hurt like hell. Max wished that she didn't care, that she didn't have to, but there was always that inkling of blind hope in the back of her mind that said 'maybe, just maybe, they'll accept me for who I am someday'. She'd had it for a long time, and that hope had caused her more grief than it was worth in the past. It was because of that very hope itself that Max had grown up with a very deeply rooted insecurity, and it wasn't until High School that she finally had managed to shake it off. But, even then, some still clinged to her very being, however deeply buried it may be. Her brave and bold demeanor was –generally speaking—genuine, but Max did have a habit of using it like a mask when her insecurities did make an appearance. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she be herself without criticism or complaint? What was so wrong about being yourself? Tired of the drama, Max got out her acoustic guitar, opened her bedroom window, and crawled out onto the roof, her favorite hiding spot. The sun was just starting to go down as she began to strum out a waltz-like melody

"_I'm s-i-c-k of my meaningless life_

_Where c-h-a-n-c-e-s pass me by._

_That's r-e-a-l-i-t-y._

_Praise o-u-r lady of terrible guilt,_

_That's not my i-d-e-a of f-r-e-e will._

_That's r-e-a-l-i-t-y._

_Mr. c-o-o-l at all the shows_

_Your a-t-t-i-t-u-d-e is old._

_This is r-e-a-l-i-t-y._

_And you might ask why_

_Nothing's ever how it seems._

_I think I knew more when I was 13._

_When did life get so real?_

_And now I feel like I'm losing my mind,_

_I used to think all the time._

_Now thinking hurts, and feeling is worse._

_I liked Reality better when it was a dream."_

The melody slowed, and Max paused for only a moment, as she started up again

"_na na na na na na na na na na_

_na na na na na na_

_na na na na na na na na na na_

_na na na na na na_

_na na na na na na na na na na_

_na na na na na na_

_na na na na na na na na na na_

_na na na na na na_

_this is r-e-a-l-i-t-y"_

Max sighed. This specific song had always been a form of comfort to her, and she personally believed that Anthony Raneri was a genius for ever making this song. She set the acoustic guitar down and slid backwards until she was lying down on her back, and stared up at the stars. Her eyes closed, and she listened to the faint urban symphony that was otherwise known as London at night. Then, she got up, collected her guitar, and crawled back through her window.

**AN: **_Here are a few pics of what Max looks like (just, minus the nose piercings, and with silvery blue eyes) _

_ stealherstyle (dot) net/wp-content/uploads/hair/sierra/10warped2-fs (dot) jpg_

_ stealherstyle (dot) net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/sierra-k (dot) jpg_

_ i55 (dot) tinypic (dot) com/2m7hp3s (dot) jpg_

_ images (dot) sodahead (dot) com/profiles/0/0/1/6/2/1/9/3/7/Sierra-Kusterbeck-18456073091 (dot) jpeg_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything aside from my OCs and my plotline.**

**Song: _A Call To Arms_ by: Bayside and _Outnumbered_ by: The Devil Wears Prada**

Max was excused from detention. Begrudgingly, she left the classroom, wary of what would be waiting for her at home. She drug herself to a bus stop, and plopped herself onto the bench. Opening her back pack, she pulled out a notebook and pencil. She began to sketch. Minutes passed by as she continued, stroke after stroke of the pencil, shading, outlining and highlighting, until the bus arrived. Hurriedly, she packed up and loaded the bus. As she sat back down, she popped in her headphones and continued her sketch.

* * *

Eventually, the bus reached its stop. Unable to shake the feeling of being condemned, Max walked on the her family's town house in Knightsbridge. She continually found herself unable to call it "home" because, really, it wasn't. Home was meant to be a friendly, loving, warm environment. Max's residence was anything but. When she entered the house, her ears were met with the lovely symphony of her parents screaming at each other.

_Great, they're at it again._ Max thought _I can already tell Dad's going to be a joy._

"What she needs is a boarding school!" her father, Jack Carver shouted

"Oh, and give her all that unsupervised freedom to do god knows what? I think not." Her mother argued back

"Well then perhaps military school?"

"Why are you so dead-set on sending her away?"

"She's a disgrace to the family!"

"Well this doesn't seem like something can't be resolved one way or another, why not a shrink?"

"Susanne, we've tried that for years, and obviously, no progress has been made." her father said using a patronising tone

"Oh, quit it, you! That just means we need to try harder! Maybe all she needs is just the right doctor!"

Max had heard enough. Upset, she let out a quiet mumble "Why don't you just accept me for who I am?"

Her Father finally caught sight of her in the doorway. His piercing green eyes narrowed threateningly. For some reason, the word 'snake' ran through her head.

"Mackenzie" he starts, obviously furious, but dangerously calm.

"Yes?"

"Your mother tells me that you had detention today. Care to explain why?" his teeth clenched and unclenched.

Bravely, Mackenzie squared her shoulders and approached him. " I actually stood up to someone for what I believe in. Something, you've always been to cowardly to accomplish. I admit, I probably went about it in the wrong way, but I'm not about to apologize for actions I know I believe in wholeheartedly"

She stared him right in the eyes, not once breaking contact with them. She knew he didn't even have the guts to strike her. He may have appeared fearsome and powerful, but he was truly a coward at heart. Oh, but he had tried. That alone had once opened Max's hope up to the idea that maybe, just maybe, his restraint was out of love. But, just like with her mother, Max had to open her eyes to the cold, biting reality. Her family would only love what they knew and understood. Being different was the equivalent of being evil. Compared to her, her younger brother Jared was the messiah himself. But despite all of it, Max refused to conform. She shouldn't have to change to gain others affection. That wasn't real love.

By this point, her father's usually pale face had turned violent red. He looked completely outraged. Steeling him one last glance, Max spun around on her heels and booked it up the staircase, and, with a sense of deja vu, once again locking the door to her room behind her.

* * *

Hours had passed. Max was back at her favorite haunt, her roof. This time, however, she was sketching. The veiw of the cityscape around her was truly one to behold, one Max had grown up with and had come to love very well. She shivered. the heat from the beautiful spring afternoon and evening was beginning to wear off. She crawled back in, sliding the window shut as she carried on, and turned on her music, continuing the sketch from the inside.

Little did Max know, just that simple motion of turning on her music that night was the catalyst of events that would change her life as she knew it.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and my plotline_

_Song: Outnumbered -The Devil Wears Prada (Please listen to this specific song, if only the intro. This chapter will make a bit more sense if you do) _ _ and Closer to the Edge- 30 Seconds To Mars_

Miles and miles away, a strange blue box was floating in space. It's captain was sitting in the jump seat, when, suddenly, an audio message was received. The Doctor got out of the jump seat and walked over to the monitor (lacking his usual manic enthusiasm) to see what the message was. Suddenly, what sounded like a foreboding public service announcement was being projected through out the room

" The virus has completely devastated over 150 of the world's major regions and is spreading rapidly-"

"What?" the Doctor cried, confused

"At this point in time, we know of only one way of killing the creatures...destroy the brain-"

"What?" the Doctor repeated, the level of panic and hysteria in his voice rising.

"Beyond the guard of any loved ones who may have recently been in any sort of contact could be infected, and if you find yourself out in a threatening position, please do not hesitate to act"

"WHAT?" the Doctor shouted, extremely alarmed. But the radio broadcast continued to bear even worse news

"Again, this is not a test, this is not a joke. We as a species are overwhelmed. We are outnumbered." the message immediately broke off in to staticy feedback, leaving the Doctor in a state of panic and confusion.

"No, no, no, no!" he cried racing to the monitor, trying to retrace the source of the signal "Really, though, really? I leave Earth for a week, and already mass chaos has ensued? And from a zombie apocalypse, at that? What the hell? I mean, it's not even Christmas yet!"

Continuing to dash around the console, he set the coordinates , beginning his rescue mission of Earth. Again.

* * *

Max was lying on her bed, sketching, her speakers blasting Outnumbered by The Devil Wears Prada, when suddenly, she heard a strange wheezing noise. As the noise grew louder, a blue police box materialized in the middle of her room.

"Wha-?" she squeaked, startled. instantly, she turned off the music, and slinked over to the blue box, which now proudly stood solid in a sea of books, clothes, and music sheets. It was large and imposing, looking as if it was completely normal to randomly appear in one's bedroom at 8pm.

"The hell?" Max breathed, confused to no end

Beginning to inspect the foreign object, Max walked up to what appeared to be the door of the police box, and slowly reached out to poke it. The moment her finger pad even touched the wooden panel, however, the door swung open, making Max jump back a few feet, her actions not too dissimilar to those of a spooked cat. A man frantically climbed out of the box with what looked to be a strange, blue , futuristic looking torch wich emitted a bizarre electronic buzzing noise. He waved it around her several times.

"Who are you?" Max exclaimed. The man didn't seem to notice, as he continued to scan her while muttering to himself. All Max could pick out of the rambling nonsense were the words 'human' 'DNA' and 'Biology'.

"Hello!" she shouted, waving a hand infront of his face. Again, she was ignored. Max began to grow annoyed.

"Oi!" she yelled, grabbing the strange buzzing tool from the man as he yelled back in protest

"My sonic!"

"You can have it back when I'm finished talking" she replied, feeling an awfully lot like a parent scolding a child "Now that I have your attention, who the hell are you, and why the hell did you land you magic box thing in the middle of my room?" she asked, keeping the now named 'sonic' out of his reach as he kept grabbing for it.

"That's not important. I need that back, now. You should understand, what with that worldwide epidemic on the loose thats forcing the entire planet to commit genocide to survive! I need to save them! Now give me back my sonic screwdriver!" His voice was slightly hysterical.

"What have you been smoking? Or is this just you idea of a bad joke?"

"Neither! My TARDIS picked up a transmission coming from here warning the citizens of Earth of a disease that has taken the world by storm! How do you not know about it?"

"TARDIS" Max asked, ignoring the last question. "Whats TARDIS?"

" Time And Relative Dimension In Space. She's my ship, she can travel anywhere and to any time. But that's beside the point, give me the bloody screwdriver!"

Max's lips quirked up. she found this to actually be kind of...fun. "Patience is a virtue. So, what's this about zombies? There aren't any I've seen around here...unless of course you count Emily Jackson's flock of mindless sheep at my school." she snickered " though, once you get to know a few of them, even then, they aren't that bad."

That stopped the man dead in his tracks. "No zombies?" he quirked up an eyebrow, puzzled " So what was that transmission I received?"

Max thought it over. She found it quite ironic that of all threats, he picked up a transmission on zombies. Though for all she knew, he was some delusional fool. Still, it was quite funny, considering she had just been listening to The Devil Wears Prada's EP, oh so appropriately named 'Zombie'. Then it hit her...oh...OH.

With out warning, she waltzed over to her ipod and restarted 'Outnumbered' from the beginning.

"Sound familiar?"

A flash of recognition flitted across his features. But then he looked even more confused.

"Why would you record this"

"Wait for it" suddenly, the familiar thundering of wild drums and electric guitar were belted out. Max smirked "Because it isn't a public service announcement, it's a song." she paused the music and began to laugh.

"The look on your face!" she cried, doubling over. The man pouted, which made her laugh even harder.

"Look, I'm sorry, but just think about the situation and try not to laugh." Max said as she finally got over laughing, the man looking even furtherly unamused. "I dare you" she continued with a hint of a chuckle.

The man snickered slightly. "Alright, I see your point. It is a little ridiculous, isn't it?" he declared, a little sheepish "But in all seriousness, can I please have my screwdriver back? it isn't deadly, but I put a lot of work into it."

Max looked at the strange tool she now clasped in her hand. "Yeah, sure" she tossed it back to him

"So, what exactly is a sonic screwdriver?"

"It's a screwdriver, just sonic"

Max snorted " Thank you Captain Obvious"

The man just beamed right back at her "You're welcome Sergeant Sarcastic"

Max smiled "That's the first decent comeback I've ever heard for that phrase. Props. But, in all seriousness, what does a sonic screwdriver actually do?"

"Well, amongst many other brilliant things, it is very good at unlocking doors. It's sort of like an intergalactic swiss army knife. So, what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't. Though neither did you."

"Touche"

"It's Mackenzie, but I prefer being called Max. You?"

"The Doctor"

"Doctor...who, exactly?"

"Just The Doctor"

"Alright 'Just The Doctor' I've heard stranger names than that."

The Doctor grinned and gave a small chuckle.

Max gave him a good look over. He was tall, skinny, and had some wildly tousled brown hair with sideburns, as well as a pair of sparkling chocolate brown eyes and a manic smile to match. He was clad in a brown pinstripe suit with cream trainers. All in all, Max could not deny that he was quite handsome. Though , not her type if she was quite honest.

"So, not to be rude, or anything, but could you explain to me how you just so happened to appear out of thin air in my bedroom?" Max asked

The Doctor looked very sheepish as he scratched the back of his neck and tugged on his ear lobe. "Yeah, sorry about that." he replied "Um, you may find this a bit... hard to believe, but I'm uh... from the future..."

Max didn't even bat an eyelash "Well, I can't say I'm surprised."

"And I'm also sort of... an alien..."

"Sort of?"

"Well... yeah, I'm an alien."

"I would say I don't believe you, but based off what I've already seen today, that explanation seems pretty sound."

The Doctor snorted "You took that rather well. Now that's a first."

"Yeah, well, I guess I'm not exactly 'normal'" Max replied, sounding slightly bitter

The Doctor raised his eyebrows "Care to elaborate?"

Max suddenly looked very uncomfortable "Not really."

"I've been in that boat before. Still am, actually." the Doctor replied, his voice solemn, a large contrast from his earlier manically energetic disposition. A brief silence followed, only to be broken by the Doctor suddenly

"Would you consider going traveling with me?"

Max blinked. That was random. "Pardon?"

"Sorry. Let me explain. My ship-"

"You mean the blue box? You called it a TARDIS, right?"

"Yes the TARDIS, it can travel through time and space-"

"Yeah, I think you mentioned that earlier."

"Anyways, the universe is huge, and the whole of time and space, believe it or not, can actually get rather lonely."

"Trust me when I say, I know the feeling."

"So you'll come?" the Doctor asked, hope lighting up his voice

"Just, what about school? I have a life here, people are going to think I've been kidnapped or something."

Half of the Doctor's brain laughed bitterly at the cruel irony of that statement, his mind flickering to memories of his pink and yellow human, while the other half was fighting to conceal them. Putting on a smile he hoped Max wouldn't see through, he replied " Like I said, time machine. We can see all of time and space only to be back a minute later of our departure."

"Really?" Max looked skeptical

"Really." He said

"Alright. Deal. Where to then, Doctor?"

The Doctor's face lit up like a Christmas tree "Anywhere or when you want."

Max grinned "Just let me pack first" She grabbed a duffel bag and filled it with all her necessities. Finally, she picked up her acoustic guitar, still in its case. "Alright. ready"

"Good. Allon-sy!"

_AN: I know I haven't said anything about this until now, and I don't want to be one of those authors who holds their chapters hostage for reviews, but I'm finding it rather sad that so far, I only have two reviews. So please do review! I really want to know how I'm doing. I love to hear you input! Thank you!_

_-RoseBVB_


	5. Author's Note! Please Read!

_A/N- Hello everyone! RoseBVB here! just thought I might clear up a few things for you that I haven't done yet. First, yes this is the 10th doctor, not 11. Next, I never really explained this very well, but this story does NOT follow the storyline of __I'm Here Now __ By Wings of Indigo. Yes, she and I are good friends, and I asked her to do a favor by adding her into her fanfiction, assuming that I'd never write anything, but this isn't Max's back story. It's just an exploration of who she is. In Wing's fic, Max has never met the Doctor prior to meeting Evy. And finally, as for the timeline, I originally thought that this should occur right after Donna's final departure in Journey's End, but then I figured it would make things a bit more interesting, as well as a lot less angsty if it took place during season 3. This means Max is replacing Martha in this timeline. Don't get me wrong, I love Martha. She's a strong, smart, and brilliantly written character, who I honestly think deserved a better chance rather than be constantly undermined by the Doctor's affections for Rose. But I don't agree with what happened between her and the Doctor. Firstly, she kind of forces her affection on him, and while I do understand matters of the heart, I think she should have realized that the Doctor didn't share her feelings far earlier and at least attempt to remain friends. Secondly, I believe that the doctor shouldn't have lead her on as much as he did. In the end, this wasn't a very healthy relationship for either person and it only caused more pain (Read: RUSSEL T. DAVIES, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?) and at the end of the day, I thought that this would have made for a better storyline. I don't know if this is just me, but I found it rather outlandish and a little daft that all these women became infatuated with one single man that most of them hardly even knew. But what can I do about it? You can't argue with canon. *Laughs* Anyways, thank you for putting up with my ranting. Please expect more updates to come soon. I maybe asking for ideas in the near future, so be prepared to use imagination. Also, please, please, please review! I really need input or constructive criticism on how I'm doing. It'll make me a better writer._

_Thank you __all__,_

_RoseBVB_


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

_Song: Glad You Came- The Wanted, Ready to Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind)- Panic! At The Disco_

* * *

The moment Max entered the TARDIS, her jaw dropped.

"It's... it's..."

"I believe 'bigger on the inside' is the phrase you're looking for" the Doctor replied, a smile gracing his face.

"Uh...yeah!" Max replied, incredulous

The Doctor laughed "Max you may want to close your mouth, you'll catch flies ."

"Oi!" She protested, playfully smacking the Doctor's arm. The Doctor just smiled. The smile was genuine, but Max could detect that there was something missing. His seemingly ageless eyes held an underlying sadness, and ancient loneliness. Max wondered what could've happened to have cause a man so much anguish. Without any prompting or warning, the loneliness dissipated, replaced with a facade of joy and happiness. This made Max slightly weary, if not concerned.

"Doctor, you don't need to keep up an act for me. Are you alright?"

The Doctor was caught off guard "What? Yeah! Of course I'm alright. I'm always alright!" He spoke a little too fast, his energy seeming a little forced.

Max raised her eyebrows, but he didn't relent "Oh alright. I won't pester you. But, one way or another, I will find out whatever it is you're hiding."

The Doctor appeared to not hear her, but secretly he was slightly relieved, if not grateful that Max had dropped the subject. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing the past, and even so, the Doctor still hadn't come to terms yet with what happened. He wasn't sure if he ever would.

Almost as if the moment never happened, the Doctor was back to his manic, energetic self "So, all of time and space... where do you want to go first?"

"Hmmmm...is there such thing as an intergalactic Warped Tour or Download Music Festival?"

"Weeeellll..." The Doctor contemplated "They do have the Litarian's Rikoshi tour, but that's probably not your type of music. Then there's the Malapatoran's..." He trailed off "No, no, no. Definitely not. We'd be arrested the moment we stepped foot on the planet" Max's eyebrows shot up, but she said nothing. "Oh! There's also-"

"Doctor! Quit rambling!" Max interrupted "We don't have to go there this time. Weren't 'all of time and space' your exact words? So we have time then."

This shut the Doctor up , if only momentarily, but the silence was not an unhappy one. If anything, amusement filled the air.

The TARDIS rumbled

_Strange _Max thought _it almost seemed like the TARDIS rumbled in approval._

"I like her too, old girl" The Doctor replied, his voice soft with a loving fondness as he looked up at the ceiling, his hand lightly rubbing one of the coral pillar-like structures.

Max became very confused, and slightly concerned, as the Doctor looked back at her. Seeing her puzzled expression, he began to explain. "Sorry, you probably think I'm crazy. Never did explain that the TARDIS isn't just a machine. She's alive. A sentient being, if you will."

"Alive?" Max asked, slightly alarmed

"Yeah, alive. TARDISes are grown, not made. And she's seems to have taken quite a liking to you already."

Max blinked, a warmth spreading through out her heart as she heard this. Strange as it may seem, she found it quite touching that the TARDIS already approved of her, as foreign of a feeling it may be. Following the Doctor's example, she looked up at the ceiling and smiled.

"Thank you" she said, her voice soft and slightly wavering. Her eyes grew moist, but no tears brimmed from them. When she looked down, the Doctor was still smiling.

"So, as I said earlier, where to?" He questioned

"How about you choose. You seem to be the expert, after all" Max grinned

"I _am_ the expert" the Doctor corrected, his tone light. He jumped from his spot, and began to dash about the console, pressing buttons and flipping levers in the process " I know _exactly_ where to go!" he declared, excited

The strange wheezing that Max had become recently acquainted with were becoming emitted from the TARDIS. They began to fade until only silence remained. Well, as silent as you can get with an energetic Time Lord running madly about a TARDIS console in a full on ramble.

"So, we've landed now, yeah?"

This stopped the Doctor mid ramble. His face contained an excitement similar to that of a child's on Christmas eve.

"Yep" He said, popping the 'p'

"Can you give me a hint?"

"Why don't you just go see for yourself?"

Max bolted for the entrance and practically wrenched the doors open. When she looked out, she instantly ran back to the Doctor, like she had been ejected out of a sling shot. She faced the Doctor with a mega-watt smile on her face.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. It's been a while since I last visited the Sunset Strip. And I figured, why don't we just go to the Whiskey A-Go-Go. You are a Crue fan, right"

Max laughed "Am I a Crue fan? Is that even a valid question? They're one of my favorite bands of all time! How did you know?"

"I might of spotted a few posters hanging from your ceiling. But enough talk. Allon-sy! How about we pay a visit to himself?"

Max wrapped her arms around the Doctor and gave him a squeeze

"Thank you so much" She sighed

Startled, but not unwelcoming, the Doctor awkwardly wrapped his arms around Max and gave her a squeeze back.

"You're welcome" He chuckled

Max released him from her grip "Do you mind if I change before we go? I'm not exactly dressed for a mosh pit, you know."

The Doctor laughed again "Not a problem at all. The bathroom's down the hall and to your left."

Max grabbed her things and followed the Doctor's instructions. Several minutes passed before she reemerged from the bathroom. She was clad in a pair of weathered black leather combat boots, black denim skinny jeans and a Motley Crue t shirt. She had applied black eyeliner and her hair was now pin straight. Her already piercing blue eyes now glowed a steelie silver. Her alabaster skin glowed slightly, and her eyes shined with a giddiness that could only be matched with her mile wide smile that graced her face.

"Allon-sy!" The Doctor smiled.

Max grabbed him by the wrist and practically dragged him out the door impaitently. At this, the Doctor rolled his eyes "Oh, how the tables have turned" He muttered, chuckling quietly at the irony of the situation.

They raced down the Sunset Strip- not caring if it earned them strange looks for it- with a sense of giddiness and excitement. Finally, they found themselves next to the familiar white brick walls wallpapered with band posters and the famous neon colored marquee. On it, in big, black, block letters, it spelled out "Motley Crue". This had Max reduced to squeals and she started to thank the Doctor immensely.

"You're welcome" he chuckled out "you don't need to keep thanking me. We're here to have fun. So quit worrying about showing you gratitude, and enjoy yourself, dammit!" He said, glowering with what was probably supposed to be a stern expression, but his eyes were shining with a teasing light that gave away to his true nature.

Max decided to play along "But of course, you supreme majesty! My apologies for causing you such distress! I should do well to remember in the future. God forbid that I do anything to cause you grief!" she cried in an over dramatic and theatrical voice, ending her performance off with a heavy, faux-dismayed sigh, and then throwing the back of her hand up to her forehead for a moment, almost in a swoon like manner. The Doctor snickered.

"Bravo, Max, bravo" he replied with mock applause, which Max returned with a deep bow. By this point, many people around them either gave them strange looks or laughed to themselves.

They joined the end of the line that was piling up in front of the club and lining up along one of the white brick walls. The whole area reeked of cigarette smoke, cheap perfume, sweat, and hairspray. Max was giddy with excitement, awaiting for the night's events to unfold.

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